Methadone Withdrawal Treatment

Methadone is an effective, proven maintenance drug used in heroin and opioid addiction treatment. Although other maintenance drugs like Suboxone and Vivitrol have become valuable tools in the addiction treatment landscape, methadone is still used in detox centers around the nation. Methadone is classified as an opioid, and therefore potentially addictive in its own right. The drug is primarily used to treat the debilitating pain that inevitably accompanies heroin and opioid withdrawal. As an opioid, methadone’s withdrawal symptoms are identical to other opioids. While each patient’s withdrawal period and experience will vary based on the severity of their use, most will experience:

• Extremes in body temperature
• Respiratory problems
• Fatigue
• Flu-like symptoms
• Muscle and joint pain
• Gastrointestinal distress (nausea, constipation, vomiting, diarrhea)
• Changes in heart rate
• Hallucinations
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Headache/migraine